Of All, Of Nothing
by perkygirly
Summary: Eowyn makes a mountain out of molehill when she finds somethings from Aragorn's past.


Disclaimer: Insert the usual here, including the fact that this is entirely fictional and contains SPOILERS for ROTK.  
  
Author's Note: Blah, blah, blah. I am such a dreamer at heart and live in hope that one day everyone will become a Fearless Soul at heart but alas it will never happen, and so I will continue to dream.   
  
Dedication: For Smaug, because she gives me hope that one-day we will all become dreamers at heart.  
  
Of All, Of Nothing.  
  
Eowyn stood in front of a full-length mirror. Her appearance resembled someone she used to know; she was no longer the person who grew up in Edoras, running around in pretty dresses being scolded by Theoden for dirtying them. She stood in front of the mirror, her blue dress neat as a pin not a single mud stain, tear or stitch marking the beautiful fabric. Her eyes were different; there was no longer the tough, carefree, rebellious look in her eye. Her face was no longer free from worry, concerns pressed her into every corner and she grew weary of such continual strain on her nerves.   
  
Her hair instead of blowing free, as her spirit once had, was held back on top of her head with silver slides and her circlet rested on her forehead and would no doubt leave a mark when she removed it. She sighed, was this worth it? Was it enough to give up everything for the man you loved? As a pair of warm hands wrapped themselves around her waist she smiled, it was totally worth it. As the pair of lips attached to her love began to pull at her neck, she sighed with utter contentment and turned into her love's arms.   
  
"You're ruining my outfit." She murmured as their lips made contact.   
  
"But we don't have to be ready for another half an hour. There's plenty of time to..."   
  
Eowyn shook her head and pulled away,   
  
"I have to look my best" she mocked, "Or people will be horrified. I cannot greet guests in a riding dress, my lord." He playfully leapt towards her, and she deftly evaded his arms. He dived at her, missing as she stepped up onto the bed and over to the other side, landing graciously on the chaise lounge her considerably large skirt floating out around her. He rolled over on the bed and looked at her,   
  
"Someone else will greet the guests. Surely they'll understand." Eowyn sat up, struggling with her skirt as she tried to sit up. He dashed over to help her, and being ever the gentleman held the door open while she walked through it. She sighed, a part of her should be used to this by now, but somehow she couldn't accept it. As she walked through the corridor, her arm interlinked with his she began to come to the slow realisation that he felt the strain too.   
  
And just then as she turned to him, she saw the side of him that was never allowed to reveal itself, she saw the side of him that showed he was as sad as she to lose a side of himself he could never regain. But as they entered the room together hand in hand, with the resignation that they had lost a special side of themselves, they had gained each other and they were stronger for it.   
  
Aragorn sat in the midst of a heated debate, nothing seemed to be able to keep his focus, although it did not help that the most beautiful woman in Middle Earth sat at the opposite end of the table, her eyes flicking from one counsellor to the next, as the argument became more and more frenzied she bit her lip deciding whether or not to interfere. This expression of nervousness gave Aragorn some optimism as to the entire situation; he was as new as she to this and needed some encouragement.   
  
However the advisors did not look on her presence so highly as they would another such as Legolas or Gimli. They gave more respect when Merry and Pippin sat in court with them, which happened far too rarely to Aragorn's dislike.   
  
"My lords I have a solution to the ever rising population and the current strain on Gondor's resources." Although she spoke clearly, with more confidence than any other her suggestion was ignored, much to Aragorn's loathing. She caught his eye, and just as he was going to reproach the advisors her voice rang out again.   
  
"Would you listen to my pleas or they will be many cases of dismissals in front of a court, and I assure you it will not be this one." The strength in her voice echoed around the room and the advisors stopped, a little taken aback by the hostility in her voice. Aragorn smiled, for a queen to speak in such a way was so far beyond their grasp that he was shocked many of them managed to stay on their chairs.   
  
She smiled at him, and then turned back to the advisors, pinning each one with a firm look that showed she would not take kindly to interruption or dispute until she had finished speaking. Aragorn smiled again, the reasons he married her came flying into his head and he dismissed them with ease, he knew that one reason was stronger than the others.   
  
He loved her, as he had once another, but this love ran deeper than the oceans of the High Sea and wider than the Plains on which she had grown up. He smiled again at her, wisps of her hair gradually breaking free from their restraints as her spirit did and now it shone out filling the entire room, blinding him with it's light. Each day he looked upon her was like the first, he still saw the same bright eyes, the same strength in her voice, the same Eowyn.  
  
Eowyn walked back to her chamber, she was exhausted and she had done nothing but sit for half of the day. Such things should not cause such fatigue; she made a mental note to speak with Aragorn about this. She giggled at the thought of the faces of those who had challenged her and then she smiled at the look her husband's face carried when she had finished.   
  
He seemed almost amused at such an eruption and a small smile began to dance within his face, till it was suitably controlled he did not look up from the table. She sighed as she entered their room, she wished to see him smile more, she wished that she could see him smile every moment of every day but she knew better.   
  
Something was still present within him that bothered him, and so it bothered her too. She sat down on the sofa opposite the chaise lounge, something over by the bureau glistened in the sunlight and Eowyn ambled over to peer at it curiously. The refracted light almost blinding her as she gazed at it more intensely, then something hit her, smack in her gut. She recognised it, and she knew the significance it held she knew it was the reason Aragorn had arrived at Edoras.   
  
She swept it up in her hand and looked at it closely, admiring its beauty imitating that of its owner, anxiety and uncertainty began to flood into her head. She seemed almost mesmerised by it, and although she was aware of it she did not fully realise that tears had begun to slip down her face.   
  
She stumbled back to the sofa where she sat watching it, shimmering in her hand and before she could realise the sun had set and nightfall was settling on the horizon.   
  
Aragorn walked into the dim room, his eyes taking only a moment to compensate for the darkness. There sitting on the sofa he saw a figure he had missed, even for half a day, it seemed somehow like an eternity. The figure however did not turn to greet him, nor welcome him with her usual warm tones.   
  
She seemed to be sitting as still as a statue, staring at something in her hand, as he walked closer he saw she had and still was crying the tears trickling down her face.   
  
He went to brush them away, but she pulled away, her eyes looking up at him only briefly showing deep pools of saddened blue. He looked down at her hand, and there saw what she was crying about, the Evenstar. He looked up at her again   
  
"Eowyn, I..." she put her hand up; drew herself up and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind her, separating them. He looked back at the sofa and there on the pale purple silk fabric, lay an object threatening to once again destroy all he held precious in the world.   
  
Eowyn pulled the covers up around her. She was not used to sleeping alone, the emptiness on the left side seemed to fill the entire room and she wished more than anything that he would come and fill it for her. But he wouldn't she knew he would stay away, give her time to let him explain, to return to him. Nevertheless this had bruised her trust, she needed an explanation, she needed to understand.   
  
She stood up, her bare feet padding softly across the room to where he lay curled up on the sofa, as she approached him she saw luminous pools of grey blaring out into the darkness of the room. As he saw he approach he sat up, dragging his feet off the sofa, making room for her to sit down.   
  
"Aragorn, tell me why? Why did I find it lying on the bureau?" She looked into the grey pools seeing a tired sadness hiding there.   
  
"I found it last night. When I saw it, I thought of you. No longer do I need the Evenstar in my life, my own real star shines out brightly enough to guide me back to her." Eowyn began to cry as he fastened the chain around her neck and placed a soft kiss on her lips.   
  
"You are my morning, noon and night, and for all the love that she may have given me I would sacrifice it all for you." Eowyn smiled, she now realised that she made everything of something that she knew was nothing. 


End file.
